The Ballari district unit of the Jan Sangram Parishat has taken strong exception to the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) modifying its earlier recommendation with regard to contribution towards fund for restoring environment and ecology in the areas ravaged by mining activities in Ballari, Chitradurga and Tumakuru districts.
“It appears that the CEC has succumbed to pressure from the mining lobby and has recommended that 5.5 per cent of sale proceeds of iron ore through e-auction to be used for restoration of environment and ecology instead of the 10 per cent recommended earlier,” T.M. Shivakumar, president of the district unit, and Shivakumar Malagi, member of the JSP State committee, said.
Speaking to presspersons here on Friday, they said that the CEC, after going round the mining areas and seeing for itself the damage caused to environment and ecology and also the plight of the people due to unscientific mining activities carried out in these three districts, had, in October 2012, recommended to the Supreme Court to direct the State government to form a Special Purpose Vehicle to utilise 10 per cent of the sale proceeds of iron ore for restoration of environment and ecology in the mining zones.
Later, in April 2016, the CEC, following a writ petition filed by the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries, Southern Region, had submitted its observations stating that with the District Mineral Foundation coming into existence, contribution to both the District Mineral Foundation and the Special Purpose Vehicle, would amount to double payment. Hence, it recommended that the 10 per cent contribution be divided into two — 5.5 per cent and 4.5 per cent — to go to the Special Purpose Vehicle and the District Mineral Foundation, respectively.
“The Special Purpose Vehicle was constituted for a special purpose, exclusively for the development of the three districts for a period of 30 years, while the District Mineral foundation is for all the districts in the country. Therefore, the division in the contribution, as recommended by the CEC, should not be effected,” they said.
To a question, they said that the Samaj Parivartan Samudaya, the petitioner in the Supreme Court, has already filed its objections to this. “In addition, we urge the State government to move an application against the division of the contribution towards the Special Purpose Vehicle,” they said.
They also took exception to the delay in the formation of the District Mineral Foundation at the district level.
Srishail A. and Tajuddin, office-bearers, were present.
